Appia

Mambo from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania! Appia M. is a 28-year-old single woman with no children. She has been running a stationery business since 2005 and earns about 400 USD in profit each month. Appia is hoping to expand her business further to attract a wider customers base and is requesting a loan in order to purchase a binding machine, a laminating machine, and rent a larger store to accommodate her growing business needs!

SELFINA has taken a lead role as a pioneer of microcredit in Tanzania. The organization is devoted to the economic empowerment of women in Tanzania through microfinance as a practical way to achieve the economic and social emancipation of women. Customs and traditions in Tanzania make it difficult for women to own land and assets; thus, they are deemed non-creditworthy by financial institutions. This leads to poor financial support and hence poor access to basic needs and services for women with low incomes. One of the primary advantages of microleasing is that it allows clients to use the equipment as collateral for future loans with SELFINA, enabling them to borrow larger sums in the future.